“No Kiddie Without a Christmas.” That’s been the mission of the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellows of Detroit for almost a hundred years. And this year is no different.

The Goodfellows Fund was started in 1914 by the then-director of the I.R.S. in Detroit, James Brady, who as a boy sold papers in front of what became the Penobscot Building.

Frank Brady, a decendent of the group’s founder, told WWJ’s Mike Campbell that it’s about more than just carrying on a family tradition.

“I worked at one of the distribution centers last year and as one of the kids was walking out with their mother and she ran back to me and gave me a little kiss on my cheek, and said “thank you”, so that makes it all worthwhile,” Brady said.

But don’t be surprised if you see women hawking the papers because it’s not just news boys …

“I worked for the (Detroit) News and the Free Press, that’s how I got involved … Pete Waldmeir was my sponsor,” said Susanne Rabideau. “We’re all Goodfellows.

Rabideau and 299 other members of the Old Newsboys Goodfellows with help from some Detroit police and firefighters are hoping to raise over a million dollars to pay for 36,000 gift packages for kids in Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Highland Park and River Rouge who might otherwise not get any gifts this year.

FOLLOW-UP: The Goodfellows collected $59,600 dollars Monday, adding to the pre-sales total of $462,000.